SONY SLT-A77VQ with DT-16-50mm f2.8, Digital "SLR" Camera with High Resolution Digital ViewFinder

SONY SLT-A77VQ  (Referred to as A77) Product Review, Use, and Comments

Introduction. Below is exhaustive details regarding the A77, which will not be repeated throughout the review remarks. We suggest that the reader begin with the PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS and read this page first; thereafter return back to the top of this page to examine our findings regarding use and testing of this revolutionary new "single lens reflex" (SLR) digital camera. 

In the world of Optical Viewfinder SLR cameras, when preparing to take an image, the photog peers into an optical viewfinder. The photog is looking into a a series of optical lenses, pentaprism, reflective-mirror, and finally through the optical elements of the Lens attached to the Camera Body. 

This differs with the A77 in that the Subject light is delivered directly onto a Semi-Translucent (SLT) Mirror which has only 30% reflectivity, the other 70% of the subject light travels through the "mirror" landing onto the Imager. The revolutionary SLT Mirror design makes it possible for the photog to literally see Exactly what the Imager is Receiving... This is the 70% of the subject-light coming from the lens. Simultaneously the other 30% of the subject-light is reflected by the fixed-mirror, literally upward, where this portion of the light is directed onto the complex receptors of Focusing Integrated Sensors. 

The magic is Simultaneously... Since the SLT-Mirror is Fixed, no mirror flapping whatsoever, there is continuous Focusing and Subject Light Processing functioning at the same time... Therefore when the photog is peering into the A77 viewfinder, the photog is "seeing" the pre-processed image that will be recorded if the shutter button is depressed, half-way or fully, with full processing and high/speed focus tracking simultaneously. 

The Viewfinder of the A77. This is another truly unique feature. This Electronic Viewfinder is of OLED design which is a very high color fidelity "screen" of low power consumption. It contains about 2,500,000 pixel-dots... Remember the typical rear-camera LCD screens contain about 900,000 pixel-dots... Therefore when the photog peers into the A77's electronic viewfinder, the photog is seeing a truly "live" High Definition image with just under 300% of the resolution of the rear-panel LCD screen.

On this Page there are a variety of un-modified JPEG images, where the camera JPEG setting are at the highest pixel-count, 6000x4000 and the JPEG Compression is set to Highest Quality. The exception is where we present the in-camera Panorama imaging. HDTV videos presented were captured at the highest quality 1080P at 60fps. These AVCHD video files, we're converted to QuickTime files, to comply with our Internet Server's file requirement. Generally speaking these Still image and Video settings we used on almost all our Commercial Jobs. Rarely do we use RAW with this modern equipment... From 1995 through 2003 RAW was a way of life in digital imaging, remember the Kodak/Canon joint venture camera, DSC-560, priced at $26,000. In the recent 5 years, the in-camera processors and firmware algorithms are very capable to generating exquisite image renderings with little or no photog intervention, other than making menu selections.

A brief history of the reviewer, Jim.Wilson: presently I am an Adjunct Prof at Florida Atlantic University, a 30,000 student University located in Boca Raton, teaching from time to time "Principles of Digital Imaging and Post Image Processing" the book I authored is used for this course, "Principles of Digital Imaging and Post Image Processing" which manuscript was subsequently sold to and published by Pearson Education in 2003, 2nd edition 2007, and receive royalties therefrom. During my 30 years of imaging experience, the first 15 years we used Nikon titanium F2, F3, F4... with a full complement of Nikon lenses. In 1996 we migrated to Total Digital, when all my Professional associates thought I was crazy... The early pricing for digital pro-gear was crazy, but the results were sound... Accordingly we totally changed to Canon gear and lenses, a $40,000 system of 1D and 1Ds and subsequent models, 5D/5D2 models, as Canon upgraded their lenses (16mm to 400mm IS "L" models and DSLR bodies. In late 2011 we sold all of our Canon gear (via eBay) in preparation of the new 2012 Lens and Digital Camera offerings. Our first re-Purchase in February, 2012, is SONY's new Alpha SLT-a77 with its kit Lens, the DT-16-50mm f2.8 SSM. It is this perspective we offer our comments. 


Review Enrty - 2012/Feb/28:  This is our first entry to this site. Each review session, there will be many over time, will be captioned with a date, followed by the text of comments and remarks. We received this camera with its packaged wide zoom lens, a f2.8 constant aperture, with a 16-50mm focal length range. Recall since this camera houses a sub-full frame imager, (50% of a FF 36x24mm imager) the effective zoom range translates to 24-75mm, zoom, if the camera-imager was full frame, a 50% focal length factor. Firstly this "kit lens" is dissimilar to what other digital SLR companies package with their digital cameras, as this is Not a junk lens. It is solidly built, 72mm (filter) optics, very firm helical mechanism, similar to what I have experienced with the many Canon "L" lenses owned. Another feature with SONY Alpha cameras, have camera-based Image Stabilizers, (IS), eliminating the need to provide Stabilized and non-Stabilized lenses... My initial reaction is the A77's Camera "IS" is marvelous. This is an important matter, as SONY expands its lens offerings and as ZEISS does so, the Photographer, (Photog), does not have to spend extra $300 to $450 per lens for the IS feature.... Having had a large inventory of Canon IS "L" lenses, like 13 lenses, all but 3 were IS lenses... So this extra expense can add up over time. This camera-based IS feature permits great lens designs like ZEISS from having to disturb their excellent lens designs with IS features... There are 30 initial test samples in day-one shown below, and my initial reaction is this Camera/Lens combination appears to be a huge Winner. Very well built combination, having the feel and sturdiness of Canon's 5D2. And the lens reminds me of Canon "L" build and optical quality. As we take more images, the series will be stacked at the back of the Lot. Each page displays 10 images, the next button/arrow advances to the next group of 10. If the viewer clicks onto an image, it will open in a separate window. There will then be a choice to look at the image in 7 different sizes, including Original, which for still mages will be 4000x6000 pixel JPEG images. The videos will be 1080p 60 fps HDTV clips, unless otherwise noted in the image caption.

Review Enrty - 2012/Mar/03:  Over the past 4 days I have been reviewing the comprehensive SONY User Guide for the A77, and experimenting and familiarizing myself with the Menu System, setting up desired defaults and assigning settings for the Function button for the Camera's Top-Dial positions, Program, Aperture, Shutter Prioroty, Auto and Auto+ positions. The interesting characteristic about this Digital Camera, it contains an amazing quantity of User Choices for almost any potential shooting condition. Although I've served as a Teaching-Pro for several decades in the digital arena, I really like what SONY has provided in the A77. And for those that want to get out and shoot right away, one can choose the Auto and Auto+ available on  the camera's Top Dial position... At the User's choice, you can dig as deep as desired, to advance your knowledge of the capacity of this unique Digital Camera. Truthfully even as an experienced guy, it has taken me several days to go over and over the choices and combinations. Therefore I recommend that everyone take their time to experiment with the amazing latitude SONY has offered in this device. So be patient in understanding how this Camera operates. Everyone can master its functions, its only a matter of time and patients. It's worth the effort. Notice the images and video clips as we add them to this site. When appropriate, I've added image captions to alert viewers of results and recommendations, like when using the in-camera HDR Functions, a 3-frame capture method, as opposed to using the camera's Dynamic Optimazation Function, a single-frame method of image capture... This week we are attaching a SONY professional EMC-957PRO Stereo Microphone, to "see" how it operates with the A77's audio recording of Video Clips. (Yes, the SONY A-77 permits adding an external microphone.) We have been shooting for years, the famous Delray Beach Saint Partick's Day Parade, and need to pick the appropriate combination of accessories to this unique A77. The SONY EMC-957PRO Stereo Mic, has an external barrel-mounted switch to choose either a  90° or 120° audio reception-range angle, similar to normal or wide-angle setting with an optical lens. The SONY EMC-957PRO Stereo Mic is likely "over-kill" (a $400 optional item) for most enthusiasts; however, this item is in our inventory of equipment, and will choose this or another Mic, depending on our results. Stay tunes as we publish our experiences with this equipment combination. Later in this week we will be adding the powerful SONY shoe-mount Flash, HLV-F58AM, a $500 item, with and without Harbor Digital's HADDA15 Bounce Diffuser. We will publish images using this Flash-A77 combination. Be free to email questions or comments that you may have, and we will address them in this venue or answer each directly to the questioner. 

Review Enrty - 2012/Mar/11: We have published several short video clip taken with the SONY SLT-A77 using a SONY external stereo professional microphone as described above. The cameras was set using the Program Mode for still images, and using the camera-back Red movie button, rather than turning the Top-Mode dial to Cinema selection. We will test that choice to see if there any differences in operability... This was captured on Saturday March 10, noon time, at Boca Raton, Florida, where they have a weekly "Farmers Market" from 8am until 1pm. Notice that I'm changing from close-up, almost macro, to more scenic composition to test the camera's auto focus while the video is recording... The response time is quite good, and pleasingly gradual, from macro-close-up to increased subject distances. The colors are fully saturated and realistic. Also the in-camera Image Stabilization works really well... One can walk around while Videoing, without much attention to trying to be "steady" while migrating through the scene. Very good results with the IS... I find it more "steadying" than Canon's in-Lens stabilization using the Canon 24-105 f4 IS L lens coupled to the Canon 5D Mark-II, for which we've had several years experience. I was intentionally moving around rapidly to test the auto-focusing and the A77's Image Stabilization. More videos to come...


SONY SLT-A77VQ  Product Highlights
24.3Mp APS-C CMOS Sensor
OLED Electronic Viewfinder
Swivel/Tilt 3.0" LCD Screen
Upgraded BIONZ Image Processor
2nd Gen Translucent Mirror Design
Dual Media Slots
1080p HD Movie Capture
Built-In GPS
SteadyShot INSIDE Stabilization
Built-In Flash & Hot Shoe

Sony wants to introduce you to their Alpha SLT-A77 Digital Camera (Body Only). This DSLR has a number of things going for it, not the least of which is the 24.3Mp sensor. Think of all the possibilities 24.3 megapixels of resolution has: mural sized prints, incredible detail, rich color, and more! If you've been craving the pixel power of the medium format back, but in a DSLR rig, now your wait is over.

Sony also gave the A77 their 2nd generation Translucent Mirror Technology system. What does this technology do? It allows the camera to focus with the speed and accuracy of Phase Detection AF and shoot simultaneously. This is an unheard of capability in the world of digital photography, well until now, that is. The camera also boasts Sony's upgraded BIONZ image processor. The processor performs many functions, including efficiently transferring shot data to the chip in your memory card. It also reduces visual noise, and ensures that functions such as 6-image layering and 2D/3D Sweep Panorama work smoothly, and with the necessary speed.

More than a still camera, the SLT-A77 also captures high-quality 1920 x 1080p AVCHD video at 60p or 24p. You can also choose to record at 60i. HD movies can also be captured with full manual control. That means the entire mode dial is at your disposal: Program, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, and Manual. Live View, Full-Time Live View (in LCD or EVF) are also available for use as is Full-Time Phase Detection AF. The latter of course being an intelligent way to correct focus automatically, while you concentrate on the scene at hand.

What the DSLR also offers, above and beyond most less-sophisticated cameras, is a viewfinder, the way all your heroes used to shoot. The A77's OLED viewfinder gets your eye off the LCD screen and into the right situation for capturing successful images. Like all viewfinders, this one keeps distractions and glare at bay. But what the OLED viewfinder does that's above and beyond the pack includes a reduction of motion blur on the Tru-Finder screen. The OLED features 2359K dots of resolution and a high contrast ratio. It also allows you to see the results of camera adjustments in real time with true-to-life color and detail.

Of course, the SLT-A77 does have an LCD screen too, but not just any monitor. This one tilts and swivels for everything from hard-to-get shots to successful reviewing of footage in harsh lighting conditions. What else does this type of LCD allow you to do? How about self-portraits? (We all know you take them... every 'creative' photographer does!) When it's not in use, the screen folds flat to the camera for safe storage and traveling.

As far as shooting performance is concerned, in regards to all things internal on the camera, the A77 backs up those 24.3Mp with the kinds of features and functions one would expect. First, the camera supports burst shooting up to 12 frames per second at full resolution; that's great news for sports photographers. The A77 also boasts a super-short lag time of only 0.05 seconds. Then there's the 16,000 ISO sensitivity and the 1200-zone exposure metering. The metering function reads directly from the camera's main image sensor and offers the choice of Multi, Center, and Spot metering.

As for more proprietary shooting features, the camera has a load of those too! While you can shoot on manual, you might find yourself playing with all the built-in options for expressing your creativity. First off, there's the dual control dials that give you access to two settings at once. All the traditional P/A/S/M exposure modes can be found there. Getting into the menu functions you'll find options such as 19-point Auto Focus, Object Tracking AF, and 6-image layering just to start. Dig a little deeper and Handheld Twilight mode and Multi-Frame NR are there to help you capture excellent low-light images.

You'll also find extras such as built-in GPS. The integrated GPS receiver records the location and time of every shot you take, allowing you to view them later on a map with compatible computer and Internet applications. This feature is also great for those into 'geo-tagging'. Eleven Picture Effects modes also give you another way to express yourself with options like Pop Color, Retro Photo, Toy Camera, and more. Old standards like face detection and Sony's Smile Shutter technology are there for your use as well.

Like any good DSLR worth its salt, Sony gave the SLT-A77 a built-in flash for capturing low-light shots with ease. That same flash can also trigger an optional wireless flash. The camera also has an integrated hot shoe for attaching various external flashes and flash accessories (sold separately).

2nd Generation Translucent Mirror Design. Other DSLRs can shoot. Or they can focus with the speed and precision of Phase Detection AF. They cannot do both at once. Sony changes all that with the award-winning Translucent Mirror Technology system. It directs light to both the image sensor and the Phase Detection AF sensor simultaneously
24.3Mp Resolution. You get incredible detail and gorgeous enlargements thanks to an APS-C sensor with 24.3 megapixels
Up to 12 Frames Per Second Continuous. The translucent mirror makes it far easier to capture the decisive soccer kick or your baby at her absolute cutest. Shoots up to 12 frames per second at full-resolution 24.3 megapixels with continuous auto focus (AE locked after first frame). This is the world's fastest shooting speed for interchangeable lens APS-C cameras, as of August, 2011

OLED Viewfinder. There's never been anything quite like the Tru-Finder OLED electronic viewfinder. For size, speed and brightness even after sunset, this is a gem. It begins with 2359K dots for amazing resolution and high contrast ratio for incredible depth. OLED reduces motion blur to a bare minimum. You can also see the results of camera adjustments in real time with superb color and detail HD Movies at 60p, 60i, or 24p, Capture spectacular HD Movies. This is the world's first DSLR to offer a choice of super-smooth 60p, standard 60i or cinematic 24p, all at Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution. AVCHD Progressive codec delivers stunning picture quality. MP4 codec offers smaller files for easier upload to the web, HD Movies with Full Manual Control. Now you don't need to surrender control when you shoot HD movies. Enjoy the full expressive potential of Program, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority or Manual (P/A/S/M) control in HD movie mode, Full-Time Phase Detection AF, You get fast, accurate auto focus in every mode-even HD Movie and Live View-thanks to Sony's exclusive Translucent Mirror Technology. While Contrast Detection Auto Focus often hunts for correct focus, Phase Detection AF knows exactly where correct focus is, and goes straight for it

Full-Time Live View in LCD or EVF. You can use both the LCD monitor and OLED Electronic Viewfinder for composing shots in Live View. Both provide a what-you-see-is-what-you-get preview of white balance, focus, depth of field, exposure and 100% framing accuracy, plus informative on-screen displays, Short Release Time Lag Helps ensure that the image you want is the image you get. Once auto focus occurs, release time lag is the delay between fully pressing the shutter release and when the camera actually starts taking the picture. Long lag makes it harder to capture fast-moving objects. The Sony A65 boasts a short DSLR release time lag at only 0.05 seconds.

Rugged, Magnesium Alloy Body. The SLT-A77 is built for the real world with a magnesium alloy body that combines high strength with light weight. Ports, doors and controls are also weather-resistant for smooth operation under adverse conditions

Camera Type Digital SLR with Interchangeable lenses
Lens Mount Sony Alpha/ Minolta
Camera Format APS-C / (1.5x Crop Factor)
Resolution Effective Pixels: 24.3 Megapixels, 24 MP : 6000px by 4000px
Sensor Type / Size CMOS, 23.5 x 15.6 mm
File Formats Still Images: JPEG, RAW
Movies: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264
Audio: AAC
Noise Reduction Yes
Memory Card Type Memory Stick Pro Duo
Memory Stick PRO HG-Duo, SD, SDHC, SDXC
Image Stabilization Mechanical
AV Recording, Video Recording Yes, NTSC
Aspect Ratio 4:3, 16:9
Audio Recording With Video
Connectivity AV Output, HDMI C (Mini), USB 2.0
Software Requirements Windows: XP (SP3), Vista (SP2), 7
Mac: OS X 10.3 or later
Power, Battery 1x NP-FM500H  Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery Pack
Physical Dimensions (WxHxD) 5.59 x 4.09 x 3.15" / 14.2 x 10.4 x 8.0 cm
Weight 1.44 lb / 653 g Camera body only


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